Hey everyone! I've got a small studio apartment but recently got access to a vacant lot next door for woodworking, so I picked up a couple of OUKITEL BP2000 power stations to use. These come with 20-amp and 30-amp outlets, which I thought would be enough for my WEN tools. The table saw draws 11 amps and the miter saw pulls 15 amps according to their manuals. However, when I plug either saw into the 20-amp outlet, they overload the power station. I did manage to get the table saw running eventually, but the miter saw always trips the power station. I tried using both regular and constant voltage modes, and I've reset the station as per the manual, but no luck. I've read that tools can draw higher power at startup so I'm wondering if the 30-amp outlet might help. Should I look for an adapter? Any advice would be great!
2 Answers
Yeah, definitely go for the 30-amp outlet! Power tools can draw way more than their listed amps at startup, sometimes reaching up to 10x temporarily. The 30-amp outlet should provide a buffer, so your power station won't trip. Just make sure to use the right adapter, so you don’t run into any issues! Good luck out there!
It sounds like you're dealing with a common issue with power tools! Motors can indeed have a huge inrush current which can be several times what they normally use, especially at startup. I'd definitely recommend trying the 30-amp outlet instead. Using a power station often means they have less capacity than wall power to handle those surges. Just be cautious and ensure your adapter, if you get one, can handle the load.